The Suited Man

If a two-button suit is classic Capitol Hill wear—and a three-button suit is modern in a 1990s sort of way—what are we to make of a one-button suit? Well, for one (pun intended), it makes sense: You don’t button your lower button on a two-button suit anyway. The deep lapels and nipped waist tend to give you a longer, thinner look. British Savile Row labels like Kilgour, Spencer Hart, and Richard James know this. And if you look at current collections by Jil Sander, J. Lindeberg, and others, you’ll see that the rest of the fashion world is catching on.

The best way to give your suit a fresh look this spring isn’t with a new tie or belt but with a simple linen or cotton pocket square. Just don’t get all tricky with the tucking and folding—it’s not an origami project. Go the square route, with the straight edge peeking out from the pocket. Think more George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck than Farnsworth Bentley.

Buying a pair of Church’s dress shoes is a no-brainer. They’re going to look good today, next year—hell, the next decade, if you take care of them. The English company has been at it since 1873, when the Church brothers—Thomas, William, and Alfred—opened a small factory in Northampton. But this isn’t to say the company is stuck in the past. In 1999, Prada partnered with Church’s, helping to usher it into the twenty-first century. There are now Church’s stores opening up all over the world, selling shoes that are still handmade and designed in England. They’re at once classic and right this minute, and they make as much sense with a suit from Brooks Brothers as one from, well, Prada.

Church’s, $725, 800-221-4540

Photo: Tom Schierlitz

Photo: Tom Schierlitz

2. Line your pocket

The best way to give your suit a fresh look this spring isn’t with a new tie or belt but with a simple linen or cotton pocket square. Just don’t get all tricky with the tucking and folding—it’s not an origami project. Go the square route, with the straight edge peeking out from the pocket. Think more George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck than Farnsworth Bentley.

Paul Stuart, $40 each, 800-678-8278

Photo: Tom Schierlitz

3. Slip into Church’s

Buying a pair of Church’s dress shoes is a no-brainer. They’re going to look good today, next year—hell, the next decade, if you take care of them. The English company has been at it since 1873, when the Church brothers—Thomas, William, and Alfred—opened a small factory in Northampton. But this isn’t to say the company is stuck in the past. In 1999, Prada partnered with Church’s, helping to usher it into the twenty-first century. There are now Church’s stores opening up all over the world, selling shoes that are still handmade and designed in England. They’re at once classic and right this minute, and they make as much sense with a suit from Brooks Brothers as one from, well, Prada.